


Time Enough

by Taupefox59



Series: Who Needs Love (When There's Southern Comfort) [2]
Category: Poldark (TV 2015), Return to Treasure Island (TV 1996)
Genre: Complicated Relationships, Family, Family Drama, Family Feels, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-26
Updated: 2016-09-08
Packaged: 2018-08-11 03:19:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,547
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7874146
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Taupefox59/pseuds/Taupefox59
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ross has been human for a few scant days, but the boys still have to face the past before they can move on to the future.</p><p>A missing sequence from 'Who Needs Love (When There's Southern Comfort)", where everyone remembers that there's so much more than one type of love.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. One Hell of a Something

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Anathema_Cat](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anathema_Cat/gifts).



> Un-beta'd, so if you catch anything, please let me know! Con/crit always welcome!
> 
> Chapter title from Ellie Goulding's song 'Burn'.

Jim heard a soft whump, and he looked over from where he had been browsing idly on his mobile, with the warm, comfortable weight of Ross’s head on his chest. Ross who had apparently fallen asleep, dropping his phone onto the bed. Jim smiled at his boyfriend, dropped a kiss to his dark hair. Ross had only been human again for a few days and was having an endearingly hard time breaking some of the habits he’d picked up as a cat; not the least of which being a tendency to fall asleep whenever he found a warm spot to curl up for more than a few minutes. 

Jim still wasn’t over the fact that Ross had come back to him - that Ross had in fact  _ been with him _ for all those months. He sighed and turned back to his phone. He’d been looking at tickets again. He’d been planning to go to Devon to see his mother for a few days. Linda had been asking him down, wanting him to come meet her new partner.

Jim was ecstatic that his mum had found someone to keep her company. She was one of his best friends, and had been absolutely life-saving when he’d finally managed to get himself free from Silver’s clutches. Linda had always given him so much, but she’d always done it on her own. 

It had been easier when he had been young, because Linda had become part of the Parental Triad that had been charged with raising Jim and Ross, and she’d had deep friends and support from Grace and Joshua.

She had lost everything when Jim had been taken. He couldn’t imagine the strength it must have taken for her to pack everything up and start new.

Linda’s new partner was a woman named Diana, and Jim had met her before, though he couldn’t say that he knew her well. She had been there when he’d first returned, and he knew that Diana had been a huge source of support for his mother, both through his captivity and after he’d gotten back. He wasn’t sure when it had blossomed from friendship to more, but all he knew was that his mother sounded happier than he’d heard her for years. 

Jim was looking forward to seeing her, but with the developments of the past few days… he couldn’t stop his thoughts from straying into dangerous territory. Ross was a warm and steady weight and all Jim wanted to do was whisk him away for a few days.

Jim loved Andrew and Verity, and was truly becoming fast friends with Coral and Demelza as well, but he couldn’t deny his desire to just have some time with his mother and with Ross. Something a bit quieter after the strange, reality-shifting, undeniably magical events of the past week.

Jim wanted to go  _ home _ and...suddenly it felt possible in a way that it hadn’t for years. 

Since before Silver.

The thought of being able to simply spend time with his Mum and Ross, just a few days away from everything… 

It was more than Jim had ever let himself believe that he could have.

 

He moved his arm to pull Ross closer, reveling in the solid,  _ real _ weight of the man he truly never thought he’d see again. 

The fact that Ross loved him back… It all seemed almost to good to be true. Jim still couldn’t quite believe, still couldn’t quite let it sink in.

He sighed and shook his head, knowing he was brooding over nothing. He glanced down at Ross and thought that maybe a nap wasn’t such a bad idea. They had a few hours before they’d need to get dinner started, and he clearly wasn’t going to get any real work done. He switched his phone off and dropped it on the bedside table before scooting down to snuggle closer to Ross.

For now, Jim had more than enough. Everything else could wait until they woke up.

  
  
  
  


****

  
  


“So I was thinking,” Jim said, “I was going to see Mum for a few days later this week.”

“Oh?” Ross asked, looking up from where he was stirring a pan of pasta sauce on the hob.

“Yeah, and - I wasn’t sure if you had plans, or if you’d like to join me?”

“Jim…” Ross said with a frown.

“What?”

“I don’t know if that’s the best idea.”

Jim paused to stare. “What are you talking about?”

Ross straightened and turned to look at Jim. “I don’t want to get in the way or anything.”

“Ross, this is my mum we’re talking about. I don’t think it’s possible for her to think that you’re in the way of anything.” But there was something turbulent in Ross’s face, and Jim started to get the feeling that there was so much more that Ross wasn’t saying. “You know that she loves you.” Jim said, tilting his head.

“Jim…”

“Fuck, Ross, of course she does! She’s just as much your mum as she is mine!”

Ross went pale at that, and Jim officially did not understand what was going on. “You’re acting like you think she’d kick you out or something.”

Silence fell in the kitchen and Jim immediately wished he could take his words back. He knew their past was complicated, and the last thing he wanted to do was push Ross into anything he wasn’t ready for. After all, the man had been a cat up until a few days ago. If Ross needed more time, Jim wanted to respect that. He was letting his fantasies get the best of him. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He let it out slow, and tried to put his thoughts together.

“You don’t have to go if you don’t want to. I didn’t mean to push.” Jim finally said, but Ross wouldn’t meet his eyes, still looking like he’d rather be swallowed up by the earth rather than be participating in their conversation.

“Ross?”

Ross finally looked up and Jim could see the tension that had settled into his shoulders, and was shocked to see how wet Ross’s eyes were.

“It isn’t that I don’t... _ want _ … to go.” Ross finally managed to say.

Jim stared.

“I would love to go.” Ross said, voice thick and rough. “I just don’t-”

“No.” Jim said, cutting him off and crossing the kitchen. “It doesn’t matter what happened.  _ We _ are here now. If we want to move forward, that’s what we have to do. What happened in the past…” Jim had to pause, because fuck,  _ so much _ had happened in the past. But that was just it. Love itself wasn’t enough. If they wanted to build a future together, they both needed to deal with the events that had gotten them to where they currently stood. “What happened was royally awful, but we can’t let that get in the way of where we want to go.”

Jim stepped into Ross’s space and pressed a soft kiss to his jaw. “She would love to see you.”

Ross shut his eyes tight and let out a noise that was halfway between a laugh and a sob. Jim pulled him close, and Ross curled into him, burying his nose in Jim’s neck.

“You know that’s what finally fucking did it.” Ross said, voice muffled against Jim’s skin.

“Did what?”

“That was the curse. I was stuck as a cat.”

“What?”

Ross stood and shook his head. “Until I learned to accept the love I was given,” he quoted.

Jim cocked his head, but then it clicked. “You had to believe that I loved you.”

Ross smiled in a way that had nothing to do with happiness. “Something like that.”

“I do, you know.” Jim said, “I love you so much.”

“I know. I love you too.”

Jim paused for a moment. “My mum loves you too.”

“I haven’t talked to her since I moved to London.” Ross confessed.

“She won’t care.”

“I haven’t talked to any of them.” Ross said softly.

“What?”

“I moved out, and I thought maybe it would just be best for everyone if I cut ties.” Ross said, “I thought it would be better that way. I thought that I was a reminder of what everyone had lost, and that maybe the best thing would be just to let everyone move on.”

Jim stared. Ross, heartbroken and hurting, had moved to London and cut ties with his entire support network.

“Your parents?” he asked.

Ross shook his head. “I haven’t spoken to them in years. Last time I called was when I got this.” he said, gesturing to his scar, “They were my emergency contacts, so they got the call when I got shipped home. I thought they deserved to know I was back in the country and not dead.”

“Ross…”

“I think Verity gives them updates? But I just...don’t.”

Jim ached at the thought. They had all been so close during school. Their families had practically lived together. One of the hardest parts of coming back had been that Jim hadn’t just lost Ross, but the entire Poldark family. Joshua had been the only father that Jim had ever known, and Grace had always treated him as her own child. Jim had always known that he could come to them as easily as his own mother if the need ever arose.

Jim had gone home to his own mother, and together they’d worked through the pain of moving on. To hear that Ross had chosen to isolate himself, and been so immensely successful that he still had no contact with either family was more than Jim could imagine. Jim knew that he never would have been able to get through his ordeal without the strength of his mother by his side. He had no idea what it would take for someone to voluntarily step away and shut themselves off from the support of their family. 

“Have you...talked to anyone about that?” Jim finally asked, still trying to work through the implications of Ross’s statement.

“What?”

“Ross, that’s just a lot…”

“What?” Ross repeated, clearly not understanding what Jim meant.

“Like a therapist or something?”

Ross went tense. “No.”

Jim paused, knowing that he was treading on unstable ground with Ross’s pride. “I wouldn’t have gotten anywhere without my therapist.” He finally said. “I thought that I’d lost you forever. Your entire family, and I needed help dealing with that.”

Ross didn’t look entirely convinced, but some of the tension bled from his shoulders.

“Just think about it, yeah?” Jim said, keeping his tone light, “I’ve actually got a great therapist here. Maybe if you wanted you could come with me sometime. See if you think it might work for you.”

“Maybe.” Ross said, uncertainly.

“Just think about it.” Jim said, knowing that ‘maybe’ was far better than ‘no’, and that he probably wouldn’t get any farther by pushing. Instead he leaned up and kissed Ross again.

Ross hummed and pulled Jim close, clearly grateful for the contact, if not for a reprieve from the discussion at hand.

  
  


They were seated and eating dinner in silence when Ross spoke. “You seem distracted.”

“Hmm?” Jim asked, blinking up from where he had been pushing his pasta around his plate.

“You seem distracted.” Ross repeated, raising an eyebrow pointedly.

Jim laughed and shook his head. “Sorry, just thinking.”

“Care to share?”

“I’ve got tickets to Devon on Thursday, is all.”

“Oh.” Ross said, realizing they were back to the discussion from earlier. “You want me to go with you.”

Jim frowned. “I only want you to come if you want to be there. I don’t want you to do anything you don’t want to do.”

Ross sighed, and looked at his plate. “I need some time to think about it.”

Jim gave a half-smile, and slid his foot beneath the table to tangle with Ross’s long legs. “No pressure.” Because as much as Jim wanted Ross with him, Jim was more invested in having Ross around for the long-haul. It didn’t matter if Ross wasn’t there this week, because hopefully Ross would be there for years to come. Jim was willing to admit that the situation was definitely far more fraught than he had originally known. If Ross needed more time, Jim could accept that. 

They had fought and faltered, but now, finally, they were here together. Time was the one thing that they had enough of.

 


	2. Don't Stop Me Now

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Road Trip!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Un-beta'd, so if you catch something, please let me know! Constructive criticism is always welcome!

 

Jim growled in frustration as he shoved a crescent wrench back into its place in the tool box he kept at the restaurant. It wasn’t anyone’s fault that the freezer had gone out. He’d been called in and managed to get the damned thing working again, but one glance at the time and he knew that he had no hope of ever being able to catch his train.

It was his job as the owner to be there if anything happened. He didn’t usually have any trouble with getting called in, but he also wasn’t usually on a schedule dictated by public transportation. He had even brought his bag to the restaurant, in the hope that he could leave directly after getting the freezer situation sorted. He forced himself to take a deep breath and not give into the stirrings of anger that were beginning to lick at his thoughts.

It was hard not to be upset by the whole situation. He knew it was his own fault for getting his hopes up, but he’d had such grand fantasies for the weekend… He’d just wanted to go home; to spend time with his Mum and her girlfriend, Diana. In an effort to be honest with himself, he had to admit that he’d also wanted Ross there. That desire had only increased with Ross’s confessions of cutting ties with everyone.

Jim just wanted to have his entire family back under one roof for one fucking weekend, but apparently the universe had other plans. Jim managed to keep from swearing, but he did put the final socket wrench back in place with far more force than necessary.

His phone started to ring, and it took all of Jim’s self-control to not toss the stupid thing across the room. Instead, he pulled it out of his pocket and checked the screen. He frowned when he saw that the caller was Ross. He opened the call. “Hello?”

“Am I too late?” Ross sounded harried and breathless.

“What?”

“I was wrong. I want to be there. I think I need to be there. Am I too late?”

It was then that Jim put it all together. After all that, _now_ was when Ross decided he wanted to fucking come along. Of course. Jim laughed bitterly. “It doesn’t matter if you’re too late. I am too. The freezer broke at the pub. I missed the fucking train.”

There was silence on the other side of the line, before Ross simply said “Oh.” There was another pause, before Ross said “Hang on.”

Jim growled when he heard a commotion on the other side of the line, then static, then nothing. Jim waited nearly a minute before he gave up, putting his phone on speaker so he could hear if Ross came back, but otherwise Jim needed to get back to work. He had just finished stowing the tool box when Ross came back on the line.

“Jim, you there?”

“Yeah, just a sec.” Jim walked back across the room and picked his mobile back up. “I’m here.”

“Right, so, Verity said we can have her car for the weekend, if you want.”

“What?”

“She needs it Wednesday, because she’ll be going out of town, but we’ll be back long before then, and I know that you want to see your Mum, and I know I said I didn’t want to come, but I was wrong, and I want to be there.” He paused. “Jim?”

Jim was beyond words, staring at his phone. He felt numb; the emotional whiplash of the situation more than he could process. Just a few moments ago, everything had been crumbling and now it was being offered to him on a silver platter.

“Jim?”

Jim took a deep breath and tried to set the world right again.

“If that’s too much-”

“It’s not. That would be perfect.” Jim said, proud of how steady his voice was.

“Oh.” Ross said. “Good. Ehm. I can pick you up.”

“I’m at the pub.”

“Do you need to go home?”

“No, I’ve got all my stuff with me here.”

“Ah, alright. I’m ready to go, I can be there in about… ten minutes probably, give or take traffic?”

Jim stared at his phone. He hadn’t realized that Ross’s flat was that close to the pub. “Alright. I’ll be waiting out back for you.”

“Okay. See you soon.”

“Yeah.”

“...I love you.”

Jim sighed and smiled softly. “I love you too.” Suddenly the entire weekend was looking up.

  


After he got off the phone with Ross, he dialed up his mother to catch her up to the situation. “Hey Mum.”

“Jim! How are you?”

“Good! I missed the train though.”

“Oh.” Her voice audibly dropped.

“No, Mum, I’m still gonna be there, ehm. Remember how I said I’d met up with Verity again?”

“Yes, of course.”

“Yeah, she’s got a car that’s she’s said we can borrow.”

“I hear you saying ‘we’.”

“Yeah, Mum. Ehm.” He paused, at a loss for words. He hadn’t mentioned Ross, not wanting to ask her to prepare for a situation that may not come to fruition. Now though, he knew he needed to give her some kind of warning. Only...he had no idea what to say. He didn’t want to explain the whole thing over the phone - he had no idea what to even say. He didn’t want to lie to his mother, but he also wasn’t sure he was prepared to tell her that he’d been hanging out with his childhood sweetheart in cat-form for the past six months. “Ehm…” He sighed. The last thing he wanted to do was turn this into a complicated conversation.

Jim was offered a way out when he recognized Verity’s car pulling into the back lot of the restaurant. “My boyfriend is going to be driving us down.”

Linda gasped in elated surprise. “Oh, Jim! You’ve met someone!?”

“Yeah, uhm. You already know him though.”

“Jim, who-”

“No, he’s just pulling in now. I gotta go.” Jim would openly admit to cowardice at points, and he knew this was one of them.

“I love you Mum, we’ll be there in a couple of hours, okay?”

“Jim, what-”

“I gotta go, see you soon!”

“Drive safe!”

“We will, Mum. Love you!”

“I love you too, dearest! See you soon.”

 

Ross got to the pub in no time at all, and it was nothing to throw Jim’s bags in the back seat and get on the road. Jim was in charge of directions while Ross drove. Once they were out of the city, it was an easy drive out to the Southern Coast. Jim had never driven it before, but between road signs and GPS they had no trouble making their way out to Devon.

 

Jim was restless though, and Ross picked up on it easily, which only caused the tension in the car to ratchet higher as the two sat there and got lost in their own thoughts. The only sound in the car was the occasional direction from the GPS and the CD of Queen’s Greatest Hits Vol. II that they’d found in the glove compartment.

It was Ross who broke first. “This is okay, isn’t it? I didn’t mean to push you into anything.”

“I don’t know what to say to my Mum.”

Ross frowned at the apparent non-sequitur.

“What are we telling people?”

“About what?”

“How did we meet? Because we can’t exactly go around telling people you were my cat for six months. They’ll never believe us.”

Ross grinned and raised an eyebrow. “Maybe that’s perfect then.”

“How is that perfect.”

“We’ll just never change the story, and no one will ever believe us.”

“Okay, but I don’t really want to tell my mum _nothing_.”

Ross hummed thoughtfully and stared out at the road. “Maybe we should tell her the truth anyway? Maybe - because you figured it out, and after we told Andrew and Coral, they said they could _feel_ we were telling the truth. Maybe there’s something about the magic, that the people who need to believe it do.”

As Ross spoke, something settled in Jim’s stomach, easing the roiling tension that had been curling through him. “Do you feel that?”

“Feel what?” Ross said, glancing over curiously.

Jim just shook his head. “Nothing. Just more magic bullshit is all.”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re right, I think. The people that we need to believe us will.”

Ross smiled grimly. “Good.” He sighed. “If only that applied to resumé’s as well.”

Jim turned to look at him. “Are you having trouble?”

Ross shook his head. “I haven’t really started looking. I’ve just been getting back on my feet.”

Jim nodded. “You’ll find something though.”

Ross sent him an unimpressed look. “Of course I’ll find something. Doesn’t mean it wouldn’t be easier if my work history looked a bit less shite at this point.”

Jim laughed and nodded. “Okay, point. Being proficient at chasing a laser pointer doesn’t exactly fit as a helpful skill.”

Ross glared at him and pointedly turned the stereo up instead of dignifying any laser-pointer quips with a reply.

Jim just laughed and started to sing along with Freddie Mercury to _Don’t Stop Me Now._ Ross tried to keep up his surly pout, but he only lasted until the chorus before he was singing along too.

The rest of the trip was flew by as they cranked up the radio and let Queen escort them to Devon.


	3. And Back Again...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Car-trip conversation and a long-awaited reunion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta'd by the incredible Anathema_Cat, who is absolutely wonderful. Any mistakes left over are mine! Con-crit always welcome.

 

They’d switched places in the car about halfway through the drive, because while Ross had more experience navigating his way out of London, Jim was the one who actually knew the way to where they were going.  

 

Not driving, however, meant that Ross had nothing to do with his hands as they got ever nearer to the final destination of Linda’s house. Linda’s  _ new _ house, where Ross had never been, as they’d broken all contact when she’d moved away. Ross tried to keep still, tried to take deep, even breaths and be rational. Logic was hard to find when the chill of fear gripped around his neck and kept seeping into his spine.

Linda hadn’t contacted him for years; they’d stopped speaking for a reason. She’d stuck around long enough to make sure that he stayed in school and graduated, then she’d left. They’d never spoken about it, but they didn’t have to. They both knew the pain they caused each other; the gaping silence that echoed between them in every room that held the memories of Jim.

Linda had left and never looked back, and Ross had done the same. In the name of moving forward, they had left each other behind. 

Now he was about to waltz back into her life, and despite Jim’s assurances that everything would be fine, Ross could only remember the last time he’d seen Linda. How frail she’d seemed after Jim had been kidnapped. The life and vitality that had always shone through in her smile had vanished, and Ross had known there was nothing he could do to help.

He had been broken and grieving, pulling on anything just to stay afloat, and Linda had done all she could. He’d known that it had been too much; he had lost his balance, his best friend and his lover, and alone he had spiralled out of control. He’d watched as his life had come apart at the seams and every action he’d taken only ever made things worse.

He’d clung to Linda like a lifeline. He’d been sinking, and he had pulled everyone down with him.

Ross closed his eyes and blew out a long, slow, steady breath. It was too late to back out now. He didn’t want to back out now. He had found Jim, he still loved Jim - could never not love Jim - and he’d been wrong. After all, that was what he’d needed to learn; that was what had finally broken the curse. 

Intellectually, Ross understood that everything would be fine. Underneath the part of him that was working from logic though, there was a maelstrom. He didn’t regret his last-minute decision to come to Devon - far from it, especially when he’d found out that Jim had missed his train - but the forced stillness of the car was giving him far too much time to think.

He knew that time had passed, that things were different now than they were all those years ago when Jim had disappeared. He just kept getting caught; stuck in the memories of that last year; the way everything he’d ever loved had crumbled to ash in his hands. The look on Linda’s face when she’d told him she was leaving.

The part of it all that hurt most was how much he honestly missed her. Linda had been practically as much his mother as she had been Jim’s. His chest ached at the thought of how it had all fallen apart. She had always been a source of comfort, of support. She had been the only one steady enough to keep him in school when he’d been going off the rails in the wake of Jim’s kidnapping.

He couldn’t imagine the depth of her pain, as he’d shredded every facet of his life, and clung to her with his claws out. It hurt because he loved her so much, and when she’d needed him he’d been too blind with his own rage and grief to be able to help. 

It hurt because the best thing at the time  _ had _ been for them to part ways. Ross had been too set on destroying everything, and Linda had needed to do everything she could to hold herself together.

Now, though, all Ross could see was how methodically he’d attacked everyone who had ever offered him support. It was fear and shame and self-loathing, cresting to rise in his shoulders and settle there, sinking into his muscles like lead.

“Hey.” Jim’s voice broke through Ross’s revery. Jim glanced at him and reached out to take his hand. “Talk to me?”

Ross took Jim’s hand but frowned and shook his head. He didn’t even know where to start.

“I don’t know what’s wrong if you don’t tell me.” Jim pointed out.

Ross curled his fingers around Jim’s and turned to look out the window. He took another deep breath. “If it doesn’t go well, I can get a hotel. Catch the train back tomorrow. You can keep the car for the weekend.”

“What?”

“I don’t want to ruin your time with your mum. I know how important -” He cut himself off. He wasn’t sure where he was going, words getting lost in the turmoil. He wasn’t sure how to articulate what he meant. How precious it was that Jim and his mother had each other; how important it was to maintain that relationship. He wanted to be a part of Jim’s life - and he wanted to be a part of Linda’s as well - but he would back off in a heartbeat if he put any strain on their relationship.

“Ross.” Jim said, “She loves you.”

“I-”

“You say that like you don’t call her ‘Mum’.”

“I don’t.” Ross said.

 

Jim blinked, and his heart broke. Queen still played in the background, but Ross was silent. Jim shook his head. “When?” Though he already knew the answer. 

“It just didn’t seem right anymore.” Ross said. “You weren’t there. She’d lost her son. I didn’t - it didn’t seem fair. She’s not-” He paused and swallowed hard. “She’s not actually my mum. It wasn’t fair to ask that of her when she’d lost her actual child.”

Jim forced himself to keep his eyes on the road as he processed what Ross had said. Suddenly so much more was making sense. He’d never realized how much things had truly fallen apart after he’d been taken by Silver. On some level he’d always known that his mum had downplayed it when they’d spoken of it, but the more he learned, the more it hurt. “She loves you.”

“What I did-”

“Is in the past.” Jim reminded him. 

Ross squeezed his hand, then nodded slowly.

Jim wanted to say something else, but none of his thoughts felt right, so he let the silence drift between them. The last thing he’d expected was for Ross to be the one to speak up.

“I love her too.”

Jim glanced at Ross, but Ross was still turned away, staring out the passenger-side window.

“I  _ miss _ her.” He confessed softly.

Jim let his thumb drift across the back of Ross’s hand. It was true that Linda had no idea that Ross was the one who was joining them for the weekend, but Jim had no doubts. He’d known that things had gotten rough after his kidnapping - things had fallen apart in a way he would never have guessed they could- but he also knew his mother. He heard the loss in her voice whenever Ross came up in conversation. He knew the wistful regret that coloured all of their conversations.

“Let that be enough.”

“What?” Ross asked, finally turning away from the window.

“You’re nervous.”

“Yes.”

“You love her.”

“She practically  _ raised _ me-”

“I was there, you know.”

Ross huffed a laugh. “As if I could forget.” The mirth lasted barely a moment though, before shadows of what happened returned. Jim  _ had _ been there. It had all fallen apart when Jim had disappeared.

“I love you.” Jim said.

“I love you.” Ross replied immediately.

“Trust me.”

“I do.” Ross said fervently. “I  _ do _ .” He paused and Jim stayed silent, letting Ross have time to wrestle words into submission. “I know - I  _ know _ that it will be alright. It just doesn’t  _ feel _ that way.”

Jim hummed thoughtfully and nodded. “We’re almost there.”

Ross nodded.

“Would it help to call? If she knew you were coming, would you feel better?”

Ross frowned for a moment, then shook his head. “No. Maybe if it was before we left. Now I think I just want to be there.”

“Alright.” Jim said with a nod. He pulled his hand away from Ross so he could shift gears as he pulled into a roundabout. It took them barely a few more minutes before Jim was pulling off the main road and into a quiet neighbourhood, and then into the cement drive of a quaint little house on a corner lot.

 

Jim turned off the car and got out, standing to stretch before walking towards the house. He’d only made it a few steps when the door opened and Linda came rushing out.

“Jim! Oh, you should have called! I haven’t put dinner on yet, or called Diana, I wasn’t sure when you-” She stopped and her hand flew to her mouth. “Oh, you’ve found him.” Her voice was barely louder than breath, and Jim could barely hear her.

Ross had unfolded himself from the car and was standing in the driveway, looking uncertain.

“Oh,  _ Jim _ ,” she said, blinking furiously, though she knew she had no hope of not crying. “Why didn’t you  _ say _ something?”

Jim smiled sheepishly, “It’s a bit of a complicated story.”

Linda shook her head and gave up on trying to stop the tears. “Of course it is. Nothing would ever be simple between you two.”

Jim glanced back at Ross. “Some things are simple.”

Linda gave a wet laugh at that, and sniffed. “What are the two of you doing all the way over there still?” She waved both of her hands, motioning them forward. “Come  _ here! _ ”

Jim went to his mother, and Ross followed behind, and in no time she had both of them in her arms, pulled as close as she could get them. It was nothing she had ever even let herself dare to hope for; more than she had dreamed. After all the pain and all the mistakes; the years of heartache and regret, her boys had come back to her.

Somehow, through all the chaos of the world, they had found their way back to each other, and back to her. “My  _ boys _ …” She said, and she could feel their arms around her, the way that Jim tangled his fingers in the back of her shirt, the way that Ross curled into her embrace. She could feel Jim standing warm and steady and the way that Ross was shaking against her.

It didn’t matter how complicated the story was; she knew that it ended well. Jim and Ross, back together as she hadn’t seen them for years, and  _ home _ . Her boys had become men, and they still managed to find their way back to her.

She may have lost Jim’s father, who had vanished and never returned. Now, though, she knew: her boys had found each other, and they’d come home to her.


End file.
